House weighs in against Iran deal
WASHINGTON – The Republican-led House cast largely symbolic votes on Friday against the Iran nuclear deal and sought to restrict President Barack Obama’s authority to lift sanctions against Tehran, one day after the Senate ensured that the administration can implement the accord without congressional interference.
After three hours of hot-tempered debate, the House voted 269 to 162 to reject the deal; 25 Democrats broke with Obama to register their disapproval.
The fate of the agreement on Capitol Hill, however, was sealed on Thursday when Senate Democrats voted to uphold the accord with Iran, overcoming heavy GOP opposition to hand Obama a victory on his top foreign policy priority. The Senate action guaranteed that any legislation disapproving of the accord will never reach Obama’s desk.
Obama marked the end of House votes with a statement saying it is time to turn the page.
“Now, we must turn to the critical work of implementing and verifying this deal so that Iran cannot pursue a nuclear weapon,” the president said in a statement. “In doing so, we’ll write the latest chapter of American leadership in the pursuit of a safer, more hopeful world.”
Eisenhower memorial effort planned by Dole
WASHINGTON – Longtime Kansas Sen. Bob Dole is planning an ambitious fundraising effort to build the long-debated Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial in Washington, and he will have help from Tom Hanks, Tom Brokaw and others.
Dole told The Associated Press on Friday that he aims to raise $150 million in private funds, if necessary, to build the memorial after more than 15 years of planning. Critics of the memorial’s design have stalled funding in Congress.
The 92-year-old World War II veteran says it’s time to honor “Ike,” the 34th president and supreme Allied commander during World War II. Organizers hope to create “I Still Like Ike” clubs nationwide to support the memorial.
“Personally, Eisenhower was my hero,” said Dole, who also called him one of the greatest men in U.S. history. “... So I decided that we just need to go out and raise the money privately and get the memorial built for this great American.”
Carmakers to offer automatic braking
WASHINGTON – Ten automakers have committed to the government to include automatic emergency braking in all new cars, a step safety advocates say could significantly reduce traffic deaths and injuries.
Making the technology widely available is part of a new era in vehicle safety in which the focus is on preventing crashes rather than on protecting occupants from their effects, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said Friday in a statement announcing the commitments.
The automakers are Audi, BMW, Ford, General Motors, Mazda, Mercedes Benz, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo.
The technology is already available in some vehicles but typically as an option in higher-priced models like Cadillac, Infiniti and Lexus. They are also often bundled with non-safety features like heated seats or faux leather interiors, making the overall package more expensive.
Associated Press
